On Tuesday, re-elect Alan Beach, Ann Marie Reardon and Robert Boccio

Posted
Monday, March 18, 2019 11:05 am

Given the Village of Lynbrook’s fiscal strength, and what appears to be a bright future for it, the Herald endorses Mayor Alan Beach and New Vision Party Trustees Ann Marie Reardon and Roberto Boccio in Tuesday’s election.

Beach became mayor after the death of Mayor William Hendrick in 2017, and has done an admirable job to date. He is heavily involved in the community and appears genuine in his desire to ensure that Lynbrook remains a vibrant village.

As a former FDNY firefighter, Beach is committed to making sure first responders and other emergency personnel have the latest equipment to remain safe on the job. His efforts have gained first responders’ support, as evidenced by the Lynbrook Police Benevolent Association’s recent endorsement of the New Vision slate.

Under the New Vision Party, Lynbrook has achieved a strong bond rating, was named one of the 10 safest places to live in New York state by the National Council for Home Safety and Security, and continues to attract new businesses to complement Regal Cinemas in the downtown. The party has also shown a commitment to holding down taxes.

Reardon became the second female trustee in Lynbrook history when Hendrick appointed her in 2015, and she is passionate about her role. In addition to serving as trustee, she worked for former State Assemblyman Brian Curran, giving her additional experience in politics.

Beach appointed Boccio shortly after becoming mayor, and he has brought a wealth of knowledge to the board. He is well spoken and informed on the issues, and has deep experience as an attorney in the public and private sectors. He is also an adjunct associate professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, and he formerly served as the village’s prosecutor and chairman of its Board of Zoning Appeals and Board of Ethics.

Beach’s opponent, Deputy Mayor Hilary Becker, and the Preserve Lynbrook Party offered some innovative ideas, but mostly focused their campaign on criticizing the Cornerstone at Lynbrook proposal, which was canceled last fall. We believe some of the party’s tactics were ill advised, including sending out misleading mailers that confused residents about the project’s status.

Though some mistakes were made in the review of the Cornerstone project, village officials did decide — unanimously — to nix it, and should be lauded, not condemned. Village officials also seemed to learn from the experience: Beach formed a committee focused on fostering transparency in village government. Even if a smaller project is proposed, it appears the Cornerstone outcry taught officials a valuable lesson on how to share information and gather feedback.

Becker has a long history in politics. Since he would stay on the board even if he were to lose the mayoral race, he would continue to be an asset to the village going forward. His vision to foster partnerships to help create new businesses and fix roads is important. So is his commitment to making sure that any potential development would keep with the character of the village and not be a burden to residents.

Trustee candidates Steve Ligouri and Antoniella Tavella had interesting ideas. They included a study to gauge how traffic and parking could be improved and incentive programs for startup businesses. We commend the candidates’ passion and encourage them to remain involved in the community.

David O’Neill is a smart businessman, having found success in many different arenas in the village. Running independently, he is focused on development to expand the tax base.

The challengers had strong ideas, but we see no reason to oust the incumbents. We hope, given the ugliness of this campaign, that the board can work together again and that future elections will be more civil.